Method for forming joints in metal tubing



April 23, 1935. T. BRIEGELI 7 1,998,654

METHOD FOR FORMING JOINTS IN METAL TUBING Original Filed Jan. 13,1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 23, 1935.

T. BRIEGEL METHOD FOR FORMING JOINTS IN METAL TUBING Original Filed Jan. 13, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIE-1U FIE 5 ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 23, 1935 UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFFIcE lvm'rnonron-romvrmo JOINTS IN MET AL TUBING Y [Theodore Briegel, Moline, Ill. Oiiginailapplication January 1 3, 1933, Serial No. $651,547. Divid'ed and this application July 17, 1933,'Serial N0. 680,821 r .2 Claims. (01. s-2) My invention has referenceto atube jointing method, of a character similar. to that set out in my former application for Letters Patent of the United States, for a tube jointing methodand The purpose of thejinvention is carried out by "of a tube sectionand performing other work 15 15 expanding one end of one tube section to a .di-

ameter to receive the end of the next adjacent section, uniting the ends of; said sections, and compressing the expanded portion until the end of the adjacent section'is tightly graspedthereby.

' At the same. time the ends arefastened together by indentations formed in the outer telescoping part. Y. 1 i

In said former application certain mechanisms and tools were set forth as being instrumental in carrying out the method, and in the presentap plication said mechanisms'and tools will be retained as being illustrative of devices foruse ,in carrying out such methodyit being understood that other mechanisms and tools 'canbe substituted therefor formaking the method effective,

orthat changes can be made in the :form' and 40 said sections. This makes it of great advantage inconnecting copper tubing or other tubing which is to be drawn through a duct of considerable length, and wherein the tube sections must be united before they enter the duct. With 45 coupling methodssuch as are now employed there is always danger of the sections separating in the duct. I,

Other advantages of the invention consist of the possibility of having the connections in the 5D tubingmade by workmen on a job,-as set forth in said former application, with greater convenience than is at present possible, and with a considerable saving of time. I t a a The mechanical devices set forth hereinf are 55 of efportable type, and convenient fprcarrying on a repair or construction truck, for use on the job, including a swaging or compression tool, for hand operation. In some cases, as in the copper tubing referred to, the expansion work could be done away from the work, if desired, and the 5 sections delivered ready for being united. The

rest of the operation could then be performed by the; swaging tool, as the sections were being introduced into the duct.

. The foregoing, and other features and advan- 10 tages of the invention will more fully appear from the following specification, taken in connection 1-,With'the accompanying drawings, in which;

Fig. 1 shows a machine for expanding the end thereon.

. Fig. 2 is an end view thereof from the left side.

.. Fig. 3 is a similarview with the vise mechanismremoved.

' Fig. 4 Ba detail of the expansion head 1. 2-0 V Fig. 5 shows fragmentary portions of two of the tube sections after being united.

. Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the broken line 6"6 'ofFigL5.

Fig. 7 shows the fragmentary section of a tube 25 and connection for use therewith in attaching the same to 'a metal box.

Fig. 8 shows the headof a'swaging tooL'in side view. I

Fig. 9 is an edge. view thereof. 30

Fig. 10 is a complete view of said tool.

Referring first tothe first three figures of the drawings,'the reference number I indicates the base' of a machine, mounted upon which is a bench 2, projected atone end into a column 3. v In the upper part of said column, longitudinally of the machine, is a bore '4, threaded to receive a similarly tapped shaft 5, provided at its outer end with a tool-hold 6, for the attachment of a crank or other. tool by means of which said shaft 40 may be rotated. On the-other end of said'shaft is an expansion head 1, in the sides of which are rollers 8, held rotatably in a cap 9 at one end and I ina collar mat the other end. The expansion tool is preferably connected with the shaft 5 so as to be detachable therefrom, as by means of a shank l 1 extending from said tool into a recess l2 in the end of said shaft, and held therein by a pin l3. vAn expansiontool of one diameter can thereby be'substituted for one of another diameter.

In that endof the base I farthestfrom the column 3 is fixed a shaft l5, upon which is rockingly mounted a vise mechanism for holding a section of tubing. Said mechanism consists of a support 16, havingan opening in its lower part through which the shaft passes, and extending upwardly into a body portion l1, projected at one side into a bearing I8, in which is fixed a pivot IS, on the ends of which is supported a pair of ears on the end of a crown-plate 2 I, supported on the body ii. The other end of said crownplate is provided with a pair of ears 22, containing a pin 23 upon which is pivoted a hook 24 for engagement with a detent I la. on the body IT. The crown-plate 2! is thereby held from movement on the body portion ll. Formed jointly in the crown-plate 2| and support I! is a circular open ing 25, in which is held a split sleeve 26, contain ing a similarly split bushing 21', adapted to receive a piece of tubing, as shown at 28. Above said crown-plate is a boss 29, said boss and plate being vertically bored and tapped to receive a n t-screw 30, the lower end of which bears upon the upper plate of the sleeve 26. By tightening said screw a section of tubing can be rigidly clamped in the bushing 21. The support I! is'held normallyin operative position, with the tube section in axial alignment with the expansion head 1 by means of 'a pin 3| passing through a perforation in the support Hat 32, and entering a hole 33 in the face of the bench '2; For some purposes hereinafter pointed out the pin is removed from the hole 33, the vise structure tilted to the right and the end of the pin replaced in an opening 34 in the bench, locking the support l1 and parts carried thereby in the adjustedposition;

With the section :of tubing positioned rigidly in the vise structure,.as shown in Fig. '1, by rotating the screw 5' in a direction to feed thesa'me toward the tubing the expansion head is caused'to enter the end of the tubing and cause an enlargement thereof into 'a head 35, with an inner' diameter slightly greater than that of the outer diameter of the main piece of tubing. This enables the end of one section to enter. the head or the next adjacent section, and form a joint therewith, as shown in Fig. '5. The head 35 is thentightly compressed upon the end-of the other section'and simultaneously provided with indentations' shown at 36, which fasten the ends securely from sepa-ration. In this operation 'a force is applied first on opposite sides of the tubing and a pair of indentations formedoppositely therein,-aft'er which the force is applied in a similar manner at right angles with the parts first compressed, and another pair of indentations provided ooincid'ently therewith. These indentations extendv through into the inner tube end, as shown in Fig. 6..

In Fig. 7 is shown a connection for use "with the head-35, consisting of a short tube section 31 provided with a collar 38 and projected into -'a. threaded end 39 for insertion into an opening in the wall of aswitch-box'or'similar device, wherein it may be held-by means of a-nut40. The tube end 31 is inserted in the head 35 and secured therein in the same manner as Tabove set forth for joining the tubes.

.When the sections of tubing have been united in the manner hereinbefore set forth a continuous conduit of uniform diameter is produced, and

one into which and through which electrical wires and cables can be readilythreaded. 'There is some frictional engagement of :theends of the tubing, but in addition thereto the indentations in the .tubing hold said ends in rigid engagement, and resist a considerable amount of force tending to separate the tubes, equal to several hundred pounds.

The pieces of tubing are furnished in lengths of approximately ten feet, and when a shorter piece is required to form part of a conduit the vise mechanism is tilted to one side as before explained and locked in such position. The length of tubing is then positioned therein, with the end to be cut extending along the side of the bench 2 and column3, whereupon such end can be severed by, use of a saw orother tool. The vise mechanism is then tipped back into place withthe tube in position for the expansion operation.

When a section of tubing has been provided with the expanded head on one of its ends it is removed from the machine and united with another section of tubing which is already in position, the 'swaging and indenting operations being performed on the job after the sections are joined. iThis is accomplished by a separate hand tool, an embodiment of which is set forth in the last threefigures of the drawings, and comprising a head 42, provided at one end with a handle member and at the other end with a fixed jaw and a'm'ovable jaw-; pivoted to the head 42 as at a, and formed of a pair of spaced 'plate's. Said plates are connected. by a, link 46 with the end of a double handle bar 41, which end has a pivotal connection with the head 42. By movingthe handles 43 and 41 towards each other 'th'elj'awfi is forced in the'direction of the jaw 44. Attached to the latter jaw is a die 48 formed in one of its edges with achannel 49, in which a portion ofthe jaw is engaged. In opposition to said die 'isa die",- attached to the jaw 45, and provided one 'edg'e' with a rib 5|, fitting between the plates of the jaw. Iii-each of said. jaws is formed a portion of a circular opening 52, the diameter of which corresponds with that of the "expanded head 'of' a section of tubing, and is adapted 'to closely engage'the same for the purpose of securing said head on the end of 'anadjacent sectionof tubing. .Each of said dies is pro- "vided with a prong 53, which are oppositely disand a similar action applied to thetubing' at right angles with that of the first operation, the prongs 'operatingagsin to form another pair of indentations-in the head of the tube. The tool is of light build but strong, and takes up little room in the jkit of a worlnnan. The showing herein is merely illustrative of atool for use in the carryingout of'the method set forth herein, and other means can be substituted therefor. f

It is the practice to draw a length of copper tubing through an enclosed duct for a considerable distance, the tubing being formed of relativelys'hort sections of approximately sixty feet, with the ends of the sections joined by means of couplings having a tapped connection with the 'ends'of the tubing. The method set forth herein is of special advantage for uniting such sections,

What I claim, and desire to secure, is;

1. A method for preparing a section of thin wall tubing of relatively small diameter and seating the same on another section of the same diameter in a substantially continuous operation, consisting of holding the same rigidly, cutting the same to desired length, expanding one of the ends thereof, overlapping said expanded end with theend of another section in a piece of Work, compressing said expanded section by hand operated means, and simultaneously indenting said expanded portion on opposite sides thereof to engage the same with the enclosed end of the other section.

2. A method for joining two sections of thin wall tubing of the same diameter consisting of holding a section of said tubing in a fixed position, gradually expanding one end of said section to possess an inner diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the unexpanded portion without injury to the tubing, telescoping the end of another section of tubing within said expanded portion, applying a compressive force manually to the expanded portion to cause the same to tightly engage. the end of the other section telescoped therein, and simultaneously engaging portions of the expanded portion with the telescoped end therein.

THEODORE BRIEGEL. 

